Zhong Guo La Mian Xiao Long Bao

Xiao Long Bao in my opinion better than Din Tai Fung and cheaper. 10 for $ 5.50. The xlb are tasty and soupy. Made fresh in front of you and served steaming hot :) I appreciate the simplicity of the ingredients yet the complexity of the flavors. Such a simple dish but so tasty. I’ll definitely be back.
Others were also ordering the Szechuan dumplings or wonton which looked really good too.

We had to come here twice because the first time, they weren’t open. It was 3pm so make sure to not come then. The second time we came at 515pm and they were open for business. I ordered the XLB and spicy pork dumplings. Both were super delicious. The couple owners were so nice and helpful too. They made me feel very welcomed at their food stand.

I have eaten at this establishment a few times now and usually I just walk up to the counter and order a batch of freshly made xiao long baos, but today was a good 10 minutes wait. Not that I’m complaining, it was totally worth it! The wait actually allowed me to watch how the guy makes his tasty little packets of love. So I’m not a big fan of xlb that are very soupy — I know, I know, don’t lynch me! — it’s just my preference (and don’t get me started on those tang baos). But don’t get me wrong, the meat filling isn’t dry by any means. I find them to be full of balanced flavor between pork and flour skin. For a little variety try them in different combination of sauces (soy or vinegar only, and mixed) and with/​without ginger. Try with ketchup … ok, just kidding. The other nice thing is the reasonable price of $ 5.50÷10 pieces, come on. Great taste for a great price, go give this place a try.

Thank you Unilocal for helping me find this place, as trying to locate a stall inside the overwhelming Chinatown Complex hawker center can be a daunting task. This place does not disappoint. I had 10 steamed XLB which costed me $ 5.50 SGD ($ 3.82 USD). As I slurped each of the delicate and succulent XLBs, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the broth has a sweet umami flavor. The skin was tender but strong enough to keep all the fillings in without breaking when I picked up the XLBs with my chopsticks. Many reviewers have compared this place’s dumpling to DTF — an unfair comparison given that DTF is a huge global franchise. In my opinion, this place is way better than DTF. I would not hesitate to come back again and again.

This place does different types of dumplings and some noodles as well. I sampled the dumplings and they are pretty decent, not that they are amazing in any way but the pan-​fried dumplings are good and 10 for 5.5 SGD is a good deal.
The line was not long when I was there but there was a constant flow of people going here and for the price it would be a place I could consider returning to.

It’s not bad. But I dont think it’s gonna win any awards soon. I ordered the szechuan spicy noodles and pan fried dumplings.
You cant order half portion for the dumplings. So it’s all or nothing. The dumplings are good, but I’ve had better. But for hawker centre standards. ⁷⁄₁₀.
The noodles has a peanut sauce base, but it was lacking in dimensions. About ⁶⁄₁₀ not a big fan, but it was decent.
I was just too lazy to queue for the other award winning stalls… I’ll come back to try their xiao long bao next time

I can confirm the other reviews are accurate! GREAT dumplings. Cheap. Worth a trip.

Yes, the xlb is really good. Nice broth and tasty. The stall is found in the southeast corner of the Chinatown Complex, which is behind the CK Dept. Store. Everything is made to order, so you do have to wait a few minutes.

Best XLBs in all of Singapore. Don’t waste your money anywhere else, especially not Din Tan Fung. They go down perfectly with some Good Beer Company beer :) and for 5 $ for 10, how could you go wrong? Still unbelievable how they haven’t changed their prices in two years and how you still only wait 5 minutes for 40 XLBs!

Kreta Ayer market is just a labyrinth on the second floor, chocked full of food gems to be discovered. One such example, Zhong Guo La Mian Xiao Long Bao.
As in the namesake, you should get an order of the xiao long baos. At 10 for $ 5, they’re a good deal, and while a little less refined than the ones from Din Tai Fung, these feel more homely and very satisfying. The soup dumplings are really juicy and the broth has good flavor.
They often make the dumplings to order so there might a be a little wait as they prepare the dumplings and place them right into the steamer. It’s totally worth it though.

This is my new favorite food stall at the Chinatown Smith Street Hawker Center. Excellent dumplings! Cheap! Only $ 4.50 for 10. The xiao long bao are great, but you HAVE to try the potstickers. They take a little longer to fry up, but definitely worth the wait. The spicy dumplings are a close second. The hawkers are really friendly and never turn anyone away when they are trying to close. (Although once the sign goes off you’ll only get xiao long bao.) I’ve noticed that there are a lot more fellow ang moh in the queue with me lately. Probably no coincidence that so many reviews start with «I was going to Good Beer Company and…»

You can find good dumplings for a reasonable price. The szechuan dumplings we’re soooo good!

Went for dinner and found this stand on the second floor of the Chinatown complex. I was on a mission to find this stall along with the Good Beer Company and it was a sucess. I ordered 10 «steamed mini buns» for $ 5.50 and the uncle there was busy hand making them. Mine were premade as they were not busy when I stopped by so they already had some waiting but they did taste very fresh. I ate them both with and without the ginger vinegar dip and actually preferred them without the vinegar. They were already very juicy!

OMG… I can’t believe I found this place amongst all the food stands in Chinatown Complex!
We went to Chinatown complex looking for the Good Beer Company but since it was dinner time thought it would be great to get some food too especially because we were in a gigantic food court.
After walking around the food court for 10 mins, I found this little shop selling xiao long bao. The couple at the shop were hand making them as you order. They were selling them at 10 XLBs for 5.50 Singaporean dollars (incredible!) I ordered 10 to share with the hubby, we finish them in 2 mins and went back to get 20 more!
They were delicious and much cheaper than restaurants like Din Tai Fung… etc.
Totally recommend going there if traveling in Singapore!

The xiaolong baos were better than I would have thought. The soup was sweet and delicate, and it was just pretty delicious. The boiled dumplings were pretty decent as well, with loads of chives, but not as good as the xiaolong baos. I have to try the potstickers next time! :)

I cheer for the underdogs. Well, 99% of the time… only because 1% seriously should stay that way.
I typically spit at the favored ones. Well, nearly 99% of the time because they tend to get over-​hyped to the point that making small mistakes become so unforgivable. After all, the endless banter causes your brain to think they are PERFECT because of how they are marketed right?
This probably explains my utter distaste towards Din Tai Feng (especially the two overcrowded spots in LA that supposedly has the best dumplings in the freaking area). Don’t get me wrong, they are decent. Quite good at best… but nothing mind-​blowing. So when people keep saying that Din Tai Feng is the ONLY to-​go spot for GOOD dumplings… bile begins to form in my mouth.
Fast-​forward to Zhong Guo La Mian Xiao Long Bao… you’ll find two very friendly and hardworking PRCs (wanted to say Chinese guys but changed it PRC to purposely address the current stereotype and say these guys are freaking AWESOME; they should be culinary ambassadors) kneading dough and forming Xiao Long Baos (hereafter, XLBs) one after the other with their magical fingers. They don’t even need to boast awesomeness and screw themselves up with a swollen reputation because witnessing them furiously at work to keep up with the line is enough indication that they ARE.
Now one of two main reasons for visiting Chinatown Complex (the other being the Good Beer Company) and having their XLB on several occasions after Cindy Q. introduced it to our little gathering, I can safely say that $ 5 for 10 XLBs that taste great and pairs well with strong beers… is «Woohoo! As good as it gets!»
/​Definitely-​recommend
NOTE: I’ve had it 5 times so far (20 – 30 each time) and the best time is usually dinner after a long line. Why? I went at lunch and my 20 XLBs came from the chiller and the dough was a bit dry and chewy compared to the ones I’ve had during dinner where it goes straight to the steamer freshly made.
Unilocal 100: ³⁶⁄₁₀₀

$ 5 for 10, whether it be xiao long bao, guo tie, boiled dumplings or steamed ones.
I was meeting Jireh H and Amanda L for a drink at Good Beer Company. I was early and craving dumplings, decided to walkabout to survey the offerings. Started seeing many tables had big bamboo steamers on them. Finally found the dumpling shop run by 2 cheery China guys.
I started with an order of boiled dumplings. Once the others took a taste, they started really getting into it. We ended up ordering a few more lots of xiao long baos and an order of guo tie.
The xiao long bao has a certain sweetness to it, I think it’s Chinese wine. These and the pot stickers (guo tie) seemed to be the most popular ones when we were waiting for our orders. I prefer the xiao long bao and boiled dumplings to the pot stickers as I find the stickers a bit heavy because of the oil from frying. The dumplings are already quite resplendent with meat juices inside. People were ordering dumplings to takeaway in multiple boxes.
I give 5 stars not because these are the best I’ve ever had but they are very yummy with a bit of a unique taste and well worth the price. There’s also not much of a wait despite them being made up on the spot. You can see the guys rolling the dough and filling them while waiting. free entertainment!

$ 5 for 10 awesome xiao long bao!
One lunch my colleagues and I descended on the stall like a horde of locusts ordering over a 100 of the xiao long bao along with wontons, pan fried dumplings and la mian. Every dish was tasty and consistent in quality.
While the xiao long bao may not be as thin skinned as «the best» restaurant dumplings, they are my favorite on this island especially given their incredible value for money.